5 Things You Need to Know Today: December 10

1. This month's Belmont Public Library's Books and Bites program welcomes poet and Belmont resident Wendy Drexler who will discuss and read from her new book of poetry "Western Motel" at 11 a.m. in the Assembly Room of the Belmont Public Library. Books and Bites is a monthly book review program featuring presentations by residents, Library staff and local authors. 

2. The popular Belmont Municipal Light Department's 2013 historical calendar is now available at the Department's business office located at 40 Prince St. Since there are only a limited number printed, there is a limit of one calendar per customer account. First come, first served.

3. The Belmont High School winter sports season begins this week with Boys and Girls Ice Hockey at Watertown on Wednesday and Girls Basketball taking on Watertown Friday in the happy confinds of Wenner Field House.

4. Belmont real estate and personal property taxpayers can now enroll online for paperless billing and payment with the town's Treasurer. Taxpayers are able to sign up to Billtrust online to access payment histories and to schedule direct debit and credit card payments.The website is compatible with all smartphones and tablet devices, so no app download is required. 

• Click here for more information about the new Billtrust website.  

• Click here to register or to schedule a one-time real estate or personal property payment.

5. On this day in 1884, one of the great novels, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain – a frequent visitor to Belmont when visiting Atlantic Monthly editor and author William Dean Howells in his Somerset Street house, Redtop – is published ... in England first before the United States in February 1885. It was one of the first novels in major American literature to be written in the vernacular of the people. It has never been out of print.